Air compressor



March 21, 1939. 1 c p 2,150,912

I AIR COMPRESSOR Filed April 18, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet l 35 .1. z? amosw gWM; 3 36 m9 Elven/2w. Lewv'q'f'iapp I March 21, 1939. L. J. cLAPP2,150,912

AIR COMPRESSOR Filed April 18, 1956 2 Sheets-Shet 2 zz' I Z 51 arm may

Patented Mar. 21, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AIR COMPRESSOR ofMassachusetts Application April 18, 1936, Serial No. 75,088

18 Claims.

My invention relates to air compressors, and more particularly toair-cooled air compressors.

An object of my invention is to provide an improved air compressor.Another object of my invention is to provide an improved air-cooled aircompressor. A further object of my invention is to provide an improvedair-cooled air compressor having improved means for securing the maximumcooling effect from the air displaced by the cooling fan. Yet anotherobject of my invention is to provide an improved air-cooled aircompressor having improved shrouding means. Still another object of myinvention is to provide an improved air-cooled air compressor of thecompound type. Other objects and advantages of the invention willhereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawings, in which one illustrative embodiment ofthe invention is shown Fig. 1 is a view partially in plan and partiallywith parts broken away, showing the illustrative embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a view partially in side elevation and in part with shroudingetc. broken away.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, central, vertical section on the plane of theline 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section on the plane of the line 44 ofFig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a rear end View, partially broken away, of a portion of theshrouding of the compressor.

Fig. 6 is a top View, partially broken away, of the shrouding.

Referring to the drawings, it will be observed that a crankcase 8supports a low pressure cylinder 2 of the air-cooled type, and a highpres sure cylinder 3 of the air-cooled type. Each of said cylinders, andthe heads and 5 thereof respectively, are provided with cooling fins 5.The crankcase encloses a usual crankshaft, of which a portion is shownat l, and the usual transmission means between said crankshaft andpistons within the cylinders 2 and 3. A combined drive pulley andflywheel 8 is mounted upon the crankshaft 1. An intercooler, generallydesignated 9, is connected in the air circuit between the low pressurecylinder 2 and the high pressure cylinder 3, a conduit ll! extendingfrom the low pressure cylinder to a lower tank H of the intercooler, anda conduit 12 connecting an upper air tank l3 of the intercooler with thehigh pressure cylinder. A discharge line is leads from the high pressurecylinder discharge to a suitable receiver, of which a fragment is shownat I5. Dual air cleaners l6, I6 supply air through a branched intakeconnection H to the intake of the low pressure cylinder 2.

Between the tanks H and 13 of the intercooler there extend heatexchanger or radiator sections, including a lower header IS, an upperheader l9, 5 and connecting tubes 20; the headers being clamped to thetanks H and [3 respectively, and in fluid communication with the latterthrough openings 2! and 22. A suitable protective screen 23 is providedto protect the radiator sections.

The compressor crankcase I is provided with an end plate element 25which supports a bearing 26 for one end of the crankshaft and alsosupports a mounting for a fan 21 which is driven by a pulley 28 on areduced extension of the crankshaft. The end plate is provided with sideflanges 38, 3D, to which there are secured plates 3i and 32 by suitableholding devices 33. These plates are generally triangular, or, more 0aptly, trapeziform, in shape and support between their forward uprightends the intercooler, for which they constitute the sole support. Itwill be noted that these plates not only perform the supporting functiondescribed, but also serve 25 as air-directing means and, without more,would very eifectively direct the air drawn by the fan through theintercoolerlover the high and low pressure cylinders.

However, additional air-directing means are .0 desirably employed, andrearwardly of the side plates there are arranged side cover elements 34and 35, connected by a top cover element 36, whereby a shrouding box isformed whose forward end 31 matches or fits with the rearward 35surfaces of the side plate and support elements 3| and 32, and whoserearward end is made herein with double walls, of which the inner ones39 approach each other so as to form inner, fairly close, lateral fitsfor the fins 6 upon the 40 low pressure cylinder 2; and an opening 40,herein generally rectangular in shape, provides for the egress of airfrom the rear of the shrouding case or box.

It will be observed that the side plates 3| and 32 support theintercooler and provide the forward portion of the shrouding. It will beobserved that the fan is in line with the intercooler and also oppositethe finned portions of the high and low pressure cylinders. It will benoted that the high pressure cylinder is of less diameter than the lowpressure cylinder, and accordingly a considerable portion of the lowpressure cylinder can receive a direct blast of air from the fan. Itwill be observed that the shrouding does cooling of the latter.

not fit close to the sides of the high pressure cylinder, so that thereis opportunity for air displaced by the fan and moving outside the zoneof the fins on the high pressure cylinder to pass to the walls of thelow pressure cylinder. It will be noted that at the side of the lowpressure cylinder the walls 39 of the shrouding' approach the sides ofthe fins on the low pressure cylinder and force nearly all the airdisplaced by the fan to pass around and between'the fins of the lowpresof the crankcase, through which some air-flow may take place, butthe net effect of this opening is mainly an ingress'of fresh air whichhas not passed through the intercooler. It will be noted that theintercooler is, in the illustrative embodiment of the invention, inplanes transverse to a vertical plane including the crankshaft and thecylinder axes, and is substantially bisected by such plane, and that theplates 3|, 32

extend from the sides of the intercooler farther towards the cylindersthan the fan-position.

As a. result of the construction described, a

very simple and effective cooling arrangement is provided, including avery rugged and substan tial mounting for the intercooler and a highlyeificient, directed, cooling-air-stream flow through the entirecompressor.

While I have in this application specifically described one form whichmy invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that thisform is shown for purposes of illustration, and that the invention maybe modified and embodied in various other forms without de parting fromits spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: i V a 1.In combination, in a compressor, a crankcase, a crankshaft in saidcrankcase, a plurality of cylinders supported by said crankcase, a heatexchange device arranged at one end of said crankcase and cut by avertical plane in which the axis of rotation of said crankshaft lies,supporting means forsaid heat exchange device, including only sideplates supported at the opposite sides of the crankcase and extendinglongitudinally of the latter, and conducting 3. In combination, in acompressor, a crank 'case, a plurality of cylinders supported by saidcrankcase and arranged in a series along the same, a heat exchangedevice, supporting means for said heat exchange device, including onlyside plates supported at the sides of the crankcase, a fan between saidside plates and between said heat exchange device and said cylinders forblowing cooling-air toward the latter, said side plates arranged todirect the cooling air toward said cylinders, and conducting meansconnecting said heat exchange device in series with said cylinders.

4. In combination, in a compressor, a crankcase, air-cooled cylinderssupported thereon, means for conducting an air stream between saidcylinders including an intercooler, and means for supporting saidintercooler and shrouding said cylinders, including plate portionsrespectively supporting and laterally enclosing the intercooler andlaterally shrouding the cylinders to provide cooling-air passage-ways ofvarying area about the sides of said cylinders.

In combination, in a compressor, a crankcase, air-cooled cylinderssupported thereon in a series arranged longitudinally thereof, anintercooler connected in the air stream flowing between said cylinders,a fan between said intercooler and cylinders for blowing cooling-airtoward the latter, and means for supporting said intercooler andshrouding said cylinders, including plate portions respectivelysupporting and laterally enclosing the intercooler and laterallyshrouding the cylinders, and providing coolingair passageways ofdiminishing area from said ian to the last cylinder.

6. combination, in a compressor, a crankcase, air-cooled cylinderssupported thereon, means for conducting an air stream between saidcylinders including an intercooler, and means for supporting saidintercooler and shrouding said axis of said crankshaft and arranged inplanes perpendicular to such plane and largely in a position above thehorizontal plane including the crank shaft axis, a fan above said crankshaft axis and between said intercooler and cylinder for blowingcooling-air toward the latter, and air-directing plates extending fromthe sides of said intercooler towards said cylinder past said fan.

8. In combination, a compressor having a vertical cylinder andacrankshaft, a vertical intercooler substantially bisected by a verticalplane which includes the axis of said cylinder and the axis of saidcrankshaft and arranged in planes perpendicular to such plane andlargely in a position above the horizontal plane including the crankshaft axis, a fan above said crank shaft axis and between saidintercooler and cylinder for lowing cooling-air toward the latter, andair-directing plates extending from the sides of said intercoolertowards cylinder past said fan and supporting said intercooler.

9. In combination, a compressor having a vertical cylinder and acrankshaft, a vertical intercooler substantially bisected by a verticalplane which includes the axis of said cylinder and the axis of saidcrankshaft and arranged in planes perpendicular to such plane, a fanbetween said intercooler and cylinder for blowing cooling-air toward thelatter, and air-directing plates extending from the sides of saidintercooler towards ill) said cylinder past said fan and along the sidesof said cylinder and forming cooling-air passageways of diminishing areathereabout.

10. In combination, a compressor having a crankcase, a vertical cylinderand a crankshaft, a vertical intercooler substantially bisected by avertical plane which includes the axis of said cylinder and the axis ofsaid crankshaft and arranged in planes perpendicular to such plane andlargely in a position above the horizontal plane including the crankshaft axis, a fan above said crank shaft axis and between saidintercooler and cylinder for blowing cooling-air toward the latter, and.air-directing plates extending from the sides of said intercoolertowards said cylinder past said fan and supported at their lowerrearward edges by said crankcase.

11. In combination, in a compressor, a crankcase, a low pressurecylinder thereon adjacent one end thereof, a high pressure cylinder onsaid crankcase adjacent the other end thereof, an intercooler in spacedrelation to the last mentioned end of the crankcase and extendingparallel to the cylinder axes and transversely of the compressor, a fanbetween said intercooler and said high pressure cylinder for blowingcoolingair toward said high and low pressure cylinders, and meansincluding lateral plates for supporting said intercooler and directingthe flow of air through passageways of diminishing area from said fansuccessively past said cylinders.

12. In combination, in a compressor, a crankcase, a low pressurecylinder on said crankcase and adjacent one end thereof, a high pressurecylinder on said crankcase and adjacent the other end thereof, anintercooler in spaced relation to the last mentioned end of thecrankcase and extending parallel to the cylinder axes and transverselyof the compressor, a fan between said intercooler and said high pressurecylinder for blowing cooling-air toward said high and low pressurecylinders, and means including lateral plates for supporting saidintercooler and directing the flow of air from said fan successivelypast said cylinders and at an increased rate past said low pressurecylinder.

13. In combination, in a compressor, a crankcase, a compressor cylinderthereon, a detachable end plate for said crankcase, a heat exchangedevice, supporting means for said heat exchange device mounted on andentirely supported by said end plate, and conducting means forconnecting the compressor cylinder with said heat exchange device.

14. In combination, in a compressor, a crankcase, a compressor cylinderthereon, a detachable end plate for said crankcase, a heat exchangedevice, supporting means for said heat exchange device including onlyside plates supported solely by said end plate, and conducting means forconnecting the compressor cylinder with said heat exchange device.

15. In combination, in a compressor, a crankcase, a compressor cylinderthereon, a detachable end plate for said crankcase, bearing meanssupported by said end plate for the compressor crankshaft, a heatexchange device, supporting means for said heat exchange device mountedon and entirely supported by said end plate, and conducting means forconnecting a compressor cylinder with said heat exchange device.

16. In combination, in a compressor, a crankcase, a compressor cylinderthereon, a detachable end plate for the crankcase, said end plate havinglateral lugs, a heat exchange device, supporting means for said heatexchange device including only side plates supported solely by said endplate and secured to said end plate lugs, and conducting means forconnecting the compressor cylinder with the heat exchange device.

17. In combination, in a compressor, a crank case, air cooled cylinderssupported thereon, an intercooler connected in the air stream flowingbetween said cylinders, and means for supporting said intercooler andshrouding said cylinders, including plate portions respectivelysupporting and laterally enclosing the intercooler and shrouding thecylinders laterally and at their tops, said shrouding extending aroundpartially behind the cylinder wall farthest from the intercooler.

18. In combination, a compressor having a crankcase supporting avertical cylinder, and a crankshaft below said cylinder, a verticalintercooler in planes to which the axis of said crankshaft isperpendicular and which lies mainly above the horizontal plane whichincludes said crankshaft axis, means for supporting said intercooler inspaced relation to said cylinder including a mounting adjacent thebottom of said intercooler connected to one end of said crank case, afan between the cylinder and intercooler driven from said crankshaft androtatable on an axis above the crankshaft axis, and shrouding means forrestricting the flow of air from said fan to the horizontal zone of saidcylinder.

LEWIS J. CLAPP.

